The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone^(A)—rejected by humans but chosen by God^(B) and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built^(C) into a spiritual house^[a](D) to be a holy priesthood,^(E) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^{(F) 6} For in Scripture it says:

² With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold^(A) for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise,^[a](B) stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.^(C)

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.^(A) In this world you will have trouble.^(B) But take heart! I have overcome^(C) the world.”

God’s Glory Departs From the Temple

10 I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne^(A) of lapis lazuli^(B) above the vault^(C) that was over the heads of the cherubim.^(D)

¹⁸ The wall was made of jasper,^(A) and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.^{(B) 19} The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.^(C) The first foundation was jasper,^(D) the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,^(E) the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.^{[a] 21} The twelve gates^(F) were twelve pearls,^(G) each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.^(H)

¹³ When the dragon^(A) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.^{(B) 14} The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle,^(C) so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time,^(D) out of the serpent’s reach. ¹⁵ Then from his mouth the serpent^(E) spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. ¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. ¹⁷ Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war^(F) against the rest of her offspring^(G)—those who keep God’s commands^(H) and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.^(I)